Shipping container and dispenser for soda straws or the like



Aug. 14, w E RG SHIPPING CONTAINER AND DISPENSER FOR SODA STRAWS OR THE LIKE Filed July 19, 1943 INVENTOR.

waaekzfczmm Patented Aug. 14, 1945 SHIPPING CONTAINER AND DISPENSER FOR SODA STRAWS OR THE LIKE Walter E. Amber-g, Beverly Shores, Ind., asolgnor to Universal Paper Products Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 19, 194:, Serial No.495,31i4

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined shipping container and dispenser for articles such as soda straws or other articles of a rod-like nature, either tubular or solid.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved package for shipping articles such as soda straws and which is adapted to be readily converted to a dispenser for said articles.

Another object is to provide a package of the type described which is convertible from a regular polygonal form to an unsymmetrical cross-sectional shape adapted to facilitate'removal of the articles therefrom by the user.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a shipping container of the type described having portions thereof removable to form a dispensing opening and having certain creased or hinged portions in the walls thereof which will permit the distortion of said container by the user to change the shape of said opening and to thereby facilitate the removal of the articles carried by said container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing carton of the type described wherein the ends of the articles being dispensed, such as soda straws, are protected or covered during the dispensing operation to avoid as much as possible their becoming contaminated by dirt, dust or other foreign matter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispensing carton of the type described wherein the shape of the ,carton during the dispensing operation is adapted to permit the removal of only one or a predetermined limited number of soda straws or similar articles at one time.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent by reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a shipping container or carton which represents a preferred embodiment of this invention and illustrates one means by which it may be practised;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the carton shown in Figure 1 illustrating the manner in which straws or other rod-like articles are dispensed therefrom after the removal of a portion of the shipping container shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the carton shown in Figure 2, after it has been fully compressed by the user; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 Figure 2.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the shipping container which represents a preferred embodiment of this invention is preferably in the form of a carton made of cardboard or any other suitable material and comprises four side wall panels A, B, C, and D (see also Figures 3 and 4) and a pair of end closures generally shown at E and F. The container of Figure 1 may be formed from a flat blank according to wellknown methods and the end closures E and F are formed by flaps which are continuations oi the side walls A, B, C, and D. As an example, the end closure F may be formed from a pair of flaps which are continuations of the side walls A and C and which are folded across each other and beneath another pair of flaps which are continuations of the side walls B and D and are interlocked to form the bottom of the container. This type of construction is so well known that it is hardly necessary to describe it because in so far as the present invention is concerned the manner in which the bottom closure F is formed is immaterial.

The top closure E is formed by a pair of flaps G and H which are continuations of the side walls D and C, respectively, and which overlap each other, and in turn are over-lapped by the top panel E, which is a continuation of the side wall B. The panel E is provided with a flap I which is inserted between the far edges 2 and 4 of the flaps G and H, and the wall D of the carton thereby closing the end in the manner shown in Figure 1 and forming a container of substantially square or rectangular cross-section.

The top flap E is hinged along a line 6 to the adjoining wall panel B of the carton and is likewise provided with hinge lines or crease lines 8, l0 and I2.

In panel B the hinge line 8 continues as a cut or perforated line I4, the hinge line l0 continues as a hinge line I6, and the hinge line 12 continues as a cut or perforated line IS. A cut or perforated line 20 extends transversely between the ends of the lines l4 and I8 and is preferably provided with a projection 22. The dotted lines 24, 26, 28, and 30 represent perforations in the side panel B, the lines 26 and 28- beingjoined by a cut or perforated line 32. As will be apparent, by placing the thumb-nail or other suitable means beneath the projection or ear 22 and pulling upwardly that portion of side panel B deflned by lines I4, l8 and 20 may be moved up around hinged line 6, as shown in Figure 2. Then by inserting the finger or other 2 means back or the area defined by perforated .lines. is, 2!, 2|, II, and s2 and tearing along tinuation thereof. These lines define auxiliary panel portions K L and M and the construction is such that when the area J, which partly defines the dispensing opening. is removed in the manner previously described and the opposite sides of the carton A and C are pressed toward each other, the panel portions K, L and M are pressed outwardly into planes oblique with respect to the plane B. In a like manner, the panel portions N and O, defined respectively by the lines ll, I2 and I, II, are pressed upwardly and outwardly so that the carton is distorted from a regular polygonal cross-section to an irregular or unsymmetrical polygonal cross-section, as shown in Figure 2. The continuation of the panel portions N and 0, as defined by the lines I, I! and II, project outwardly beyond the side panel B and form a roof or covering over the dispensing opening, as shown in Figure 2. The compression against the sides or the carton A- and C by the user causes the soda straws, or other similar articles to be dispensed, to be pressed into the dispensing opening in the manner shown by Figures 2 and 4. The configuration of lines 24, 26, 2|, ll, and 82 is preferably such that when the sides A and C of the carton are compressed as shown in Figure 3 only a limited number, say 1 or' 2, straws are moved outwardly-beyond the edge 22 of the roof or covering portion previously described. Thus, in the particular embodiment shown, the edge 32 of the dispensing opening is only slightly greater than the diameter or a single straw, so that when the carton is tightly compressed by pressure against sides A and C only one straw will be presented to the user at one time. It will be understood that the shape of the opening may be varied to present a greater number. This is an important feature of the invention.

It will be understood that certain variations and modifications can be made without departing from the invention. The flaps G and H are preterably provided with tapered or converging edges 2 and 4 so as not to interfere with the compression of the sides A and C. The configurationoftheedgesGandHisalsousedtolimit the amount or compression. Thus, when the carton is compressed, the edges 2 and 4 move in the direction 01 the inside of the closure ilap I, and when they press against the closure fiap I further compression oi the carton is impeded. Otherwise the carton could be compressed until the lines I and II coincide, provided that there were no straws in the dispensing opening. The presence of straws in the dispensing opening will in itself determine the extent to which the carton can be compressed. when the carton is fully compressed with straws in the dispensing opening, the straws will tend to line up back of each other in the manner illustrated in Figure 3. In this case it is possible in the embodiment shown to remove two straws at one time without interierence from the projecting portion 22.

The various hinge lines I, II, II, 34, IO, ",and

assess! I llshowninthedrawingsmayberormedinany convenient manner. As shown in Figure 1, the lines I, II, N, and I! have cut portions extending through the respective panels and crease lines or partially cut portions on the exterior or each panel. The hinge lines II, a and II are formed by creases or partial cuts in the exterior of the carton wall. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to any par- 1tliltiular method of forming crease lines or hinge As will be further observed, the panels N, O, K, L, and M are bounded by lines which tend to converge or diverge in certain directions. Thus, the boundary lines of the panels N and 0 convemein; a direction away from the dispensing opening. The boundary lines of the panels 1!, K and L all diverge in a direction away from the dispensing opening. While this arrangement is preierred, it is quite conceivable that other means for distorting the carton to cause the articles therein to project through a dispensing opening might be employed without departing from the invention.

In connection with the construction or the particular embodiment of the invention herein described it will be observed that the sides 20 and 28 01' the dispensing opening diverge with respect to the lower end 32 oi the dispensing opening. When the carton is compressed by pressure against the side panels A and C, the sides 28 and ll of the opening move outwardly and tend to assume positions in planes parallel to each other and coinciding with planes through the lines 24 and II. Very often the user will not compress the carton farther than shown in Figures 2 and 4, in which case the lines 2' and 28 are still divergent with respect to each other, although the part or the opening which they bound is caused to project outwardly and obliquely with respect to the side panel B. It will be recognized that ii the carton is compressed to the point where the side panels 26 and 28 occupy parallel positions, then the soda straws will be aligned in the dispensing opening one back of the other, as shown in Figure 3.

The invention provides a new and improved shipping container for shipping articles of the character described and which is convertible to a new and improved type of dispensing container for these articles. One 01' the important aspects of the invention is that the dispensing opening of the carton, when used as a dispensing container, is relatively small and thereby exposes the contents to a minimum amount of contamina-v tion. Furthermore, the operation or the carton as a dispensing container is such that the user does not have a chance to handle more than a limited number of soda straws at any one time. This has the obvious advantage that the user can only handle the straws which he is going to use. as distin uished from those which are for the benefit oi subsequent users.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A combined shipping container and dispenser adapted for shipping and dispensing articles such as soda straw; and the like, comprising a carton, a predetermined area in a side wall of said carton adapted to form a dispensing opening when said wall area is removed, said wall area extending downwardly fromthe top of said container a sufllcient distance that the article may be grasped intermediate the ends thereof, and means comprising a plurality oi panels in an end closure of said carton and in a side wall containing said removable wall area, defined in part by hinge lines extending from opposite sides of said removabble wall area wherebxwlren said wall area is removed and pressure is applied laterally toward the sides of said opening. the said wall panels will open obliquely and outwardly with respect to the positions they normally occupy and said opening will be distorted obliquely and outwardly.

2. A combined shipping container and dispenser adapted for shipping and dispensing articles such as soda straws and the like, comprising a carton, a predetermined area in a wall of said carton adapted to define a dispensing openin when said wall area is removed, and means to permit distortion of said carton to cause said articles in said carton to project through said opening, said means comprising a plurality of hinge lines in an end closure of said carton and a plurality of hinged lines in the side wall of said carton provided with said removable wall area, said hinge lines extending from opposite sides of said removable wall area and being adapted to define in part a plurality of planes in said end closure and in said side wall, which open obliquely and outwardly when said wall area is removed and pressure is applied laterally to the side walls adjacent said side wall containing the removable wall are 3. A container and dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein the hinge lines in the top of said carton comprise three hing lines, including a centrally disposed hinge line and two outer hinge lines, all of which converge in a direction away from said removable wall area to form a pair of obliquely disposed triangular planes when said wall area is removed and said carton is compressed laterally.

4. A shipping container and dispenser as claimed in claim 2 in which the hinge lines in the side wall of said carton comprise four hinge lines, including two outer hinge lines and two inner hinge lines, the outer hinge lines converging from the corners of the carton toward said removable wall area which forms said dispensing opening when removed and the inner hinge lines converging from points equally spaced from the outer hinge lines and intermediate of the lower end of the carton towardsaid removable wall area, said hinge lines terminating at their intersections with said removable wall area and being adapted to form three wall panels which open obliquely with respect to each other and with respect to the side wall of the carton when the carton is compressed laterally.

WALTER E. AMBERG. 

